Lighter-than-air balloons may be displayed singly or in groups both for decorative purposes as well as to celebrate various events, functions, etc. For example, one or more balloons are frequently used as centerpieces at various functions, and may include bright colors or inscribed images or messages reflecting the nature of the event or function. Both mylar and latex balloons are frequently filled with helium to render them lighter-than-air. Helium, which is a lighter-than-air gas, causes an upward lift to act on the balloon. Therefore, balloons filled with helium frequently need to be tied by means of a string or otherwise secured to an object to prevent them from floating away.
In the past, lighter-than-air balloons have been tethered down by tying a string to each balloon at an upper end and to an object that rests on a surface, or the surface itself, at a lower end. Where suitable objects for tethering the balloons are not provided on the surface, weights may be provided to tether the balloons and prevent them from floating away. However, because balloons come in different sizes and, therefore, have different volumes, they receive smaller or larger amounts of helium, resulting in different levels of lift. Thus, a single weight may not be suitable for anchoring a plurality of different sized balloons. If the weight does not have sufficient mass it will not perform the intended tethering of the balloon(s), and if the weight has excess mass its cost might be unnecessarily high. This problem is exacerbated by the bundling of multiple balloons together. In such an instance, a weight of significant greater mass will be needed or individual weights must still be provided for each individual balloon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,405 discloses adjustable weights for weighing down differently sized lighter-than-air balloons. The adjustable weight includes at least two individual weights with a first means on each weight for selectively attaching two or more weights to each other and a second means for tethering the lighter-than-air balloon or balloons to the composite weight. While this provides adjustability in the mass of the composite weight, the designs disclosed are complicated and difficult to manufacture.
Notably, lighter-than-air balloon weights are often purchased in large quantities to accommodate events or functions where a significant number of lighter-than-air balloons are displayed. In such cases, the cost of each individual weight is an important consideration. The individual weights that are joined to form the adjustable weights disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,405 require manufacturing and production methods that are timely and costly, thereby increasing the market cost of the device. In addition, the complicated adjustable weights of the prior art are unnecessarily difficult to assemble, making set-up of displays of the lighter-than-air balloons more time consuming.
Thus, there is a need for an adjustable weight for lighter-than-air balloons that has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture and employ.